CoLu Week 2018
by MWolfe13
Summary: It's that time of year again! Sit back and enjoy the wonderful ship that is Cobra and Lucy. Day 1: Defect
1. Day 1: Defect

**Here is the start of my submissions for CoLu Week 2018. Still not sure if these are going to be connected or not, we'll see what the muse gives me. Also totally LATE start, but oh well.**

 **Enjoy and let me know what you think in the reviews!**

* * *

 **Day 1: Defect**

 **AU where Magic is a defect**

Lucy sighed as she gazed at the pretty night lights, laughter and music surrounding her room from the vent. She remembered a time when she was allowed to attend the parties. She remembered the dresses, the happiness at being acknowledged as the center of the festivities. No matter the age, Lucy had never been denied anything.

Until her magic came.

It had been a well-hidden secret, the dormant magic that flowed through her mother's people. Back when magic had been openly embraced, they had been well regarded as children of the stars. Lucy wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it had caused a rift between her parents; their open affection for each other slowly diminishing until there was nothing but darkness where their light should have been. The one thing they did agree on nowadays was that Lucy could no longer be seen in public, was no longer the heir to the Heartfilia name, and her father needed to discreetly have another heir by someone with no magic tainting their blood.

That had been five years ago. It was now Lucy's sixteenth birthday. It was ironic really. The celebration outside was in her honor, a remembrance of the beautiful Heartfilia pride and joy now thought dead. That bit of information had been carefully crafted on her father's part. One of her first lessons as an heiress was that nothing was impossible with the right amount of money. The money flow was so generous, only one servant of the entire staff at the mansion knew of her continued existence.

"That's not true. Everyone is just too afraid to speak out."

Lucy gave a startled scream, turning quickly to face the voice that had invaded her prison. The man was leaning against her door, the elegant suit he was wearing clashing with the spiky maroon hair and sharp features. He only had one eye, the other lid closed forcefully by a scar running down his face. Lucy bit her lip, thinking of his last statement. "What do you mean?"

He studied her, his gaze roaming down her body, taking in every detail. "The people who work here. They know about you but pretend not to. They get paid too much to look the other way, and most think what your parents are doing is right."

She looked down, not surprised by his words. Didn't the one servant who tended to her tell her every day what an abomination she was? "Silence is not hard to buy." She looked up. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Cobra."

What an odd name. "Alright Cobra. What are you doing here? The festivities are in another part of the mansion. No one is allowed in this corridor."

He didn't answer her for a while, instead choosing to walk entirely into her room. He took in the small bedroom, the simpleness of the small bed and dresser the only additions. A pile of books on the table were the only things he could see that could be a source of entertainment. It boiled his blood, especially as he'd seen the other rooms in this massive place, but cases like these always offended him. How could they not?

Finally, he looked at her, honey brown eyes staring at him in question. He said, "You know, wrangling an invitation to this gettogether was not easy. Had to grease a few palms myself, but I couldn't leave you here. I heard you calling from the next town over; your magic is strong."

Lucy gasped, understanding washing over her. "You have magic?"

Cobra nodded. "Yes, and I haven't felt a call that strong in a while. I recognized your type immediately." He looked around in disgust at her lodgings. "It's a shame that someone as rare as you is being treated this poorly. I'll never understand this country."

Lucy looked away, torn between wanting to know more and telling him to leave her be. He clearly knew more about her than she did, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know more. She still loved her parents, even if they'd all but left her here to slowly die from loneliness and depression. A part of her, the little girl that had been the light of their lives, still wanted to please them.

Consorting with another magic user would displease them greatly.

Cobra made a disgusted noise, forcing her to look at him in surprise. "Oh come on, Blondie. How can you have any loyalty to these fuckers? They're supposed to love and protect you. Instead, your mother is drowning away her sorrows in alcohol, and your father is checking out every blonde that can give him a normal magic-less heir."

Tears sprang in her eyes, the reality of her failures hitting her. "It's all because I couldn't keep the magic under control. It would have stayed dormant if I hadn't been curious."

"Bah," Cobra growled. "Is that what your mother told you? Magic is a part of who you are. You can't just keep it restrained. Just because it's skipped a couple of generations, doesn't mean that crazy woman knows what she's talking about. It's been far too long since one of your kind has graced the world."

Lucy couldn't help herself. "You know what I am?"

Cobra shrugged. "Sure, it's fairly obvious. As I said, you're rare." He turned the full force of his stare on her. "I can take you away from here. There's a country that's a safe place for Mages; the Emperor is a magic user himself. There are guilds and opportunities that would blow your mind."

She knew the place he was talking about. Alvarez was well known to the magic-fearing people of Fiore. They were the only country hers refused to trade with, not that it was a significant loss on either side. While Fiore was heading the race on technology, Alvarez was a hotbed of magical power. It bled from the place, lending to its dangerous reputation as a territory where only Mages were welcome.

Reading her mind, Cobra continued. "You can grow into the woman you're supposed to be." He held out his hand. "What do you say, Blondie?"

Lucy looked at his hand for a long while, weighing her options. If she left now, she would be truly dead to her family. Then again, her parents had taught her never to let her light die and isn't that what they'd all done?

She took it.


	2. Day 2: Water

**Thank you 19vanelkc, rmadhumita378, Misa-chan47, Multiplelifes, Lenaar, delphine60, BlasphemousOrder, xmystifyed, Princess Inwe, caitlinsr, Mistress Katana, KJacket, flying vampire-ninja pandabear, nelly1210, angelMwings, lady carma, Airbearlove, Aprillynne1021, Babyitsfact, OtakuAnimeLover21, and SoWhatIAmAwsome for following/favoring this story!**

 **Reviews: Thank you for the reviews! They keep my muse going! You'll be happy to know the rest of the prompts for CoLu Week will be joined into one tiny story.  
**

 **Enjoy and let me know what you think in the reviews!**

* * *

 **Day 2: Water**

Of course they'd send people after her.

Lucy knew better than to think she could get away. Her parents couldn't risk her leaving, couldn't risk people finding out the long thought dead Heartfilia heir was indeed alive. Oh, they'd die of eternal shame if it was found out their bloodline was tainted.

Cobra's offer was like a dream come true; a place where she could be free and practice her magic? To never have to be shunned for something she couldn't control? Lucy had taken his hand without thinking of the consequences, a total stranger who would have her at his mercy. Now, as the hunting hounds of her father's estate bayed and Cobra dragged her through the woods that would lead them to the boat he had used to get here, Lucy wanted only to turn back. She wanted to beg her parent's forgiveness, promise never to show her face again.

A part of her wanted to die, contemplated just letting the hounds rip her apart without a fight.

"Stop thinking that shit, Blondie," Cobra growled out. "You're more depressing than Macbeth, and that's saying something."

"Who?" Lucy asked, chest burning from all the running they'd done already.

"Nevermind," Cobra said. "If we make it out of here, you'll get to meet him."

He never let go of her hand, Lucy grateful for it. She'd fall behind if he did. She'd never had to run so far before, or so fast. Distantly, she could remember trying to run as fast as she could so that her father wouldn't catch her during play time. But that was before he'd changed, before she'd proven defective.

Cobra rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Would you please stop thinking that? You are _not_ defective!"

For the first time in a long time, Lucy felt a spark of anger. "If you don't like what I'm thinking, then stop reading my mind!"

Cobra smirked. "So there is some fight in you left. I like it."

They made it to the boat. It was a small thing, nothing like the yachts her family owned. She couldn't believe this was her ticket to freedom. There was only one problem.

The line tying it to the dock seemed to have untied, the boat floating about a dozen feet from where they were at.

Cobra cursed, looking behind him as the sounds of men chasing after them got closer. "Fuck. We're still on Fiore territory. Per the agreement the Emperor has with this country, no citizen of Alvarez will use magic while on their territory. I can't use my active power, not without breaking the treaty."

Lucy's shoulders slumped. "It's alright. You tried."

Cobra glared at her. "Don't give up just yet, Lucy. I can't use my magic, but that doesn't mean you can't."

Lucy looked at him in confusion. "How? I can make a light shine from the palm of my hand. I don't think that will deter them."

Cobra led her from the docks and into the water. "That's not just light, but we'll get into that later. What do you know of the stars?"

Lucy tried to concentrate past the icky feeling of her clothes and shoes being wet. "What do you mean? I know they're out there, though you can't see them very well from the cities."

Cobra looked at her in disbelief. "You don't know _anything_ about the constellations?" Men shouting drew their attention to the shore. They were fast approaching, guns primed as they followed the hounds. "Nevermind. Here's what you're going to do. I want you to think of the water, imagine it creating an unbreakable wall in front of us. Then I want you to call out to Aquarius, ask her to lend you her power."

Panic began to set in, Lucy's confusion getting the best of her. "I can't do that. I don't think you know what you're talking about. Who is Aquarius? Oh Gods, they'll kill me for this. They-"

A loud smack brought Lucy back from her rambling. She rubbed her stinging cheek in shock, Cobra staring at without a hint of remorse. "I didn't have to time to calm you down gently," he said in explanation. "You _can_ do it. Trust that I know more about you than you do at the moment. We won't make it out of here without that power, Blondie."

Lucy could only nod, still reeling from the slap. Figuring she'd at least try before telling him again he was wrong; she closed her eyes. Like a picture in her mind, Lucy envisioned the water rising from the ground. She visualized a wall of endless water, separating them from those that were hunting them. She whispered, "Please Aquarius, lend me your power. Please help me escape this land." A tear fell from her closed eye as she imagined what would happen to her if they succeeded in dragging her back.

She felt Cobra rest his hands on her shoulders, his breath tickling her ear as he bent his head. "Open your eyes," he said softly. "Look at what you did."

Lucy opened her eyes, gasping at the sight before her. Like the picture in her mind, a wall of water divided them from their pursuers. She could hear the muffled sound of guns firing, but no bullet penetrated the water she'd controlled. She couldn't comprehend what was going on, awed that her magic had done this. "I did this?"

There was satisfaction and a hint of pride in Cobra's voice as he said, "You better believe it."

* * *

 **AN: Next prompt is Invite**


	3. Day 3: Invite

**Thank you maru84, free-to-fly-2010, shadowgem, steffy1405, Shadow Kitsune11, GemNika, chxtlotteverdeen, AnimeLuver778, laurajustin, and itzmyah1 for following/favoring this ship week!**

 **Reviews: Thank you for the reviews! They keep my muse going!**

 **I hope you guys enjoy and let me know what you think in the reviews!**

* * *

 **Day 3: Invite**

Lucy was still in awe of what she'd done as Cobra guided them out of Fiore territory. She still couldn't believe she'd done what she'd done. Always, she'd been able to conjure the light that shined as bright as the sun. But never had she tried anything else. When her parents had shunned her, she'd locked away her magic, hoping they'd forget her transgression in time. They hadn't, but she had been too afraid of the light and what it represented to try doing it again.

The power that had risen to greet her, the feelings that filled her when she'd made the water do her bidding, had felt like coming home. She'd been filled with warmth and joy for just a second. She'd almost imagined it, but then Cobra had made her open her eyes, see what she'd done. It was a feeling she wanted to make happen again.

Cobra had been silent while he focused on getting them away. She didn't want to bother him, but she was filled with curiosity now. She couldn't control herself. "You seem to know a lot more about me than I do," Lucy said. "I want to know what I am. What does it mean to be a child of the stars?"

"I don't know the full extent of what you can do or how you magic came to be," Cobra admitted. "But when my guild took on the task of finding Mages from other countries and bringing them home, I made sure to learn everything I could about the different magic types out there."

"Anything you can tell me is more than I know now," she nearly begged.

Cobra acquiesced. "Alright. The first thing you need to know is that there are other realms besides ours, different dimensions. One happens to be the realm of the stars, or Celestial Spirits as they're known by. Getting to these other realms is impossible, but there are some that can tap into their power. You, as a star child, can bridge the gap that divides our two realms, brings their magic here to Earthland."

"Is that what I did when I first conjured the light?" Lucy asked.

He nodded. "Sure did. It wasn't ordinary light you brought forth. If I had to take a guess, I'd say you either conjured starlight or the power of Regulus."

"Wait," Lucy spoke up. "I think I know that one. One of father's competitors named his son that. It's for Leo the Lion, am I right?"

Cobra's eyebrow rose. "That's right. It looks like you know something after all."

Lucy blushed. "I'm afraid that's the extent of my knowledge. We never associated with them much."

"Too bad," Cobra said. "For each star, there is a Celestial Spirit attached to it. Aquarius is the water-bearer. What you did back there? You basically tapped into her magic, which she let you do. You have plenty of latent magic inside of you."

She remembered the power that had flown through her when she'd called out to Aquarius. "Why is that?"

"Aquarius is a Zodiac Spirit," Cobra told her. "One of the more powerful ones, I think. You did exactly as I asked without breaking a sweat. Celestial Summoners weren't able to do that back when they roamed Earthland freely. They were holder-type Mages, required the corresponding key to interact with a Spirit. You did it on your first try and didn't almost kill yourself in the process. You're a natural with plenty of magic to go around."

"There's so much I don't know," Lucy murmured. "This doesn't sound real, yet I saw what I did with my own eyes. There was no mistaking it."

Cobra shrugged. "It'll take some getting used to, but I'm sure you'll be okay. The Emperor knows more than me about your magic. He'll be able to guide you. I'm sure you'll like it in the palace."

The way he spoke made it seem like he wasn't going to be with her. Lucy bit her lip. "And where will you be?"

Cobra looked at her, surprise on his face. "With my guild once I drop you off." As her thoughts drifted into his head, Cobra shook his head. "You don't want to stay with me. My guild has a specific purpose, to find people like you all over the world and bring them here. Alvarez is fast becoming one of the only countries that tolerate magic. There are others in situations like yours, some even worse."

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself. "But what will I do? I can't stay with the Emperor forever."

Cobra sighed, "I'm pretty sure you can if you want. Still, once you've had time to settle, the Emperor will announce your presence. The invitations will start pouring in after that. You'll find a new family in no time."

"People will want me to join them?"

Cobra scoffed, "Who wouldn't reject the chance to have the only known Celestial Mage in their guild? You'll have so many choices you won't know what to do with them, Blondie."

Lucy could imagine it, and it sounded scary. He made her sound like a commodity, something to be possessed. That didn't seem like freedom, but like a cage that treated her better than her old one. No, she wouldn't be jailed again. "I want to stay with you."

Cobra growled, "You don't know what you want. You feel an attachment to me because I got you out of that hell hole. My guild is not for you."

"Just the fact that you don't want me with you makes me believe this is the right choice," Lucy argued. "You won't treat me like a shiny new toy, something to be paraded around until the appeal wears out."

They stared at each other in a battle of wills, neither giving in. She wasn't backing down, and he thought Jellal wasn't going to kill him if he brought the blonde back with him. Finally, he said, "Stay with the Emperor and get used to your magic. I guarantee you'll find a guild you love that isn't mine."

"I won't."

"We'll see."

* * *

 **An: Next Prompt is Pyramid  
**


End file.
